Psycho Dan
by Anonymistress
Summary: Dan Phantom is created, making Danny Fenton depressed and Vlad Masters nice. It's a bit of a problem for everyone involved.
1. Chapter 1

There's a big difference between a psychopath and a sociopath. For one, the former is born, and the latter is made. A psychopath is cold blooded, calculated, and manipulative, but a sociopath is hotheaded, impulsive, and spontaneous.

Both lack empathy, remorse, and guilt. Both disregard social and behavioral rules. Both are violent.

His name was Danny Fenton. But he died, and when he died, I was born. Dan Phantom. And I was born a pyschopath.

He didn't die all at once. Only half, a complete accident. I didn't even realize I existed for a while.

Only when we split did I realize I was alive. Well, not alive, but existing...

It was a fight with Vlad Masters, aka Vlad Plasimus, aka the Wisconsin Ghost. It was in the basement of Fentonworks, two ghosts brawling it out.

Blast after blast, until Vlad launched himself at us, and we tussled, floating across the room at alarming speeds. We never saw it coming.

One second, there were two halfas, fighting each other to the death. The next second, there were two humans, and two ghosts, baffled at what happened.

I was never a malevolent spirit. Not until the ghost parts of us were drawn together. Suddenly, I felt his hatred, his evil, his psychopathic tendencies. And it became a part of me.

The human parts of us clung together together, shaking, as I screamed, in agony. It felt like my skin was searing, as I changed, physically, mentally...

What was left was a soul named Dan Phantom. Me. I looked down at the humans cowering before me, and could only wonder what I looked like to them.

"D-Dan!" stammered a shocked Danny Fenton, and that's how I got my name. He knew me, well, another version of me, and recognised it.

I raised an eyebrow. I swooped upwards, to look at the town with my new eyes. I felt alive... Different. And I didn't know quite what to do.

Danny stared at the fusion ghost as it soared upwards.

"Look what you've done, Daniel!" exclaimed Vlad, recomposing himself.

He lowered his head. He really messed up -

"Thank you!" he almost yelled, before enveloping the boy in a hug, the last thing he was expecting from the older man.

The raven haired boy almost pushed away, but only let out a shocked yelp and and a "what?"

Vlad let go, and now that Danny could get a better look, he saw that the circles around Vlad's eyes were gone. In fact, he looked happy. "My dear boy, the ghost part of me wanted vengance, and was jealous, and angry. But I, I've forgiven your father, and moved on from your mother!" That's what it was. Vlad looked less sinister, less creepy, and overall less evil.

Danny found himself deeply surprised. "Wow... That's... Unexpected," he noted. "But that means that Dan has all your anger and vengance..." Then the boy began to wonder what he was missing. If Vlad was so drastically different, how was he?

That was the thing, though. He wasn't different at all. Not in a way he noticed, anyway. But when he yelled "go ghost!" and changed, there was a change, not just in his physicality, but in his mindset. He became braver, more stubborn, a tad more foolish. Of course, he always associated this with just having powers, but it wasn't that at all.

The line of thought Danny was having was interrupted by a couple of Fentons storming down to the basement - an angry Jack, an adamant Maddie, and a hesitant Jazz.

"What's going on here?" asked Jack in his commanding voice.

Before Danny could even begin to answer, his former nemesis smiled. "Your boy was just showing me your marvelous inventions, Jack! He must be so proud to have a father like you." Vlad was being totally sincere, not sarcastic at all. Of course, he was lying, but it was convincing. Especially for a dimwit like Danny's dad.

"I'll leave you two to it, then," said Maddie, flashing a kind smile, bringing Jack back upstairs.

However, Jazz stayed. "What's really going on here, Plasimus?" she asked, glaring at Vlad.

"Jazz, stop. He went through the Ghost Catcher and Vlad's a good guy now!" Danny explained, feeling less than happy about the situation.

His older sister raised an eyebrow. "Really? I can't believe it..." She began to look the former villain up and down, as if to find a red flag of evil hiding somewhere on his person.

The boy nodded. "I can't believe it either... And, uh, I fell through too. And it was kinda confusing, um... Our ghost halves merged, and..."

Jazz's eyes widened. "No... Are you saying...?" Danny gave a solemn nod.

Vlad kept looking back and forth between the two, strangely silent, until he placed his hands on their shoulders. "Now now, children, you mustn't worry. We'll capture that ghost, won't we?"

Danny glanced at the older man. "I'm... I'm not sure you understand, Vlad. Dan isn't just a ghost. He destroys the entire world, in the future. And with my - our - his? His ghostly wail, and ice powers, he's bound to do some major damage..."

"Well, maybe we can capture him. He's not that powerful yet, probably." Jazz said in a dubiously hopeful tone, that did not encourage Danny.

He shook his head. "I dunno, Jazz... Seems kinda hopeless." That's when it hit him, what he was missing. His spirit. His actual, literal motivation to do things, to do good things, to make a difference. One might even describe his behavior now as depressed.

"Oh, c'mon, little badger, it'll be alright..." Vlad tried to soothe him, but ultimately failing. He let out a sigh. "Don't worry, Uncle Vlady will capture the ghost!" he said, rushing off before anyone could stop him. Not that Danny was leaping to do so, anyway.

Jazz watched, looking beaten. Her brother seemed to give up before he even started, and she knew it was because of the same thing that made Vlad so nice now. She let out a pained sigh. "C'mon, Danny. We have to go help him before he gets himself in trouble.

He shook his head. "I think I'll stay here." He lowered his icy blue eyes to the ground, unable to meet hers now.

She nodded, and headed upstairs, leaving the broken youth standing there, staring into space, thinking endlessly, but doing nothing.


	2. Chapter 2

Dan Phantom. I ran the name through my head a dozen times, until it felt right, and another dozen times, til it felt wrong again.

I had all of Danny and Vlad's memories, human and ghost. I remembered everything they did. But I was a ghost, and they were humans.

I had taken to staring at a moonlit shop window, where I could see my reflection. I had found out how to shift my form from Danny Phantom's to Vlad Plasimus', back and forth. I could also turn human. Well, look human, anyway, as either of them, but I didn't see the point of that right now.

I settled on Danny's form, and began to fly again through town, until I reached my destination. I phased right through the window, and stared at her.

Sam Manson, the girl we loved. The girl _I_ loved. She looked so cute, hugging her pillow, asleep, the only light reaching her pale form my ghostly light. I gently reached, and touched her raven hair, combing through it. I felt sad. I still loved her, but the hatred was burning in my core, burning through the walls I built to contain it. I would destroy her world. Unless...

"Danny?" she asked softly, waking up. I tensed, and flew off before she could utter another syllable.

I couldn't form attachments. I had a choice. Be weak, or be strong. And I knew what I was doing.

Vlad and Jazz saw the ghostly form of Danny Phantom fly past them. "Look! Daniel got his powers back!" Vlad cheered, almost grinning.

"No, Vlad, I think that was Dan! He was able to look like Danny... That means his power is progressing! We don't have much time!" Jazz watched, as he flew towards the Manson estate, and gasped. "That's Sam's house..." She reached for the Fenton Thermos, before she realized she left it in the lab. Inwardly, she cursed. "We have to go back," she decided.

The old man shrugged. "Whatever you say, Jasmine." He seemed at ease with just about anything. He kinda reminded the teen of the Danny that came out of the Fenton Ghost Catcher the first time.

They got back to the basement, and found Danny still standing there, silent tears gliding down his face.

"Danny! Have you been standing here this whole time?" asked his sister, worried. Of course she would be worried, he was her brother.

He glanced at her, and his look said it all. He felt horrible. His motivation was gone. His love. All that was left was practically an empty shell.

"Come on, little badger. You look tired. How about some rest?" Vlad offered, taking the hand of the boy. He didn't struggle. In fact, he didn't say anything at all.

Jazz watched with concern. But he wasn't her priority right now. Dan was. Dan was probably plotting his next move with his newfound power... And she couldn't let that happen. She had to stop him.

She grabbed the Fenton Thermos, and strapped it to her back, and hesitated, before grabbing a few more. She needed all the help she could get, and even if she couldn't get the help, it wouldn't hurt to have extras.


	3. Chapter 3

I started with the school. At this time of night, it was abandoned, silent. I began to demonstrate my power upon the place, firing blast after blast, but it wasn't sufficient. The green blasts did nothing. So, I changed to look like Plasimus, and began firing again. The pink was no better.

I wanted to destroy the school. But freezing it over would do for now, until I was able to harness the power of sheer destruction.

Jasmine Fenton called an already awake Sam. "Dan's back and we don't have much time. Change into something, and come over to Fentonworks pronto." Jazz said, not giving her a second to respond before hanging up, and calling Tucker with the same message. That was the easy part.

Now, she went upstairs, and approached her parents. Should she lie or tell the truth? She knew what was on the line, and they might be more willing to help if they knew, too. At the same time, it'd take longer, and time was of the essence right now. "Mom, Dad..."

"Yes, sweetie?" asked Maddie, looking confused as to why her daughter seemed so downcast.

"I just learned that Phantom and Plas - I mean, the Wisconsin Ghost, have fused into one ghost and that one ghost is terrorizing innocent people!" she said, urgently.

Jack grinned. "That ghost won't know what hit him!" He said, leaping out of his seat.

Maddie let out a sigh. "It's late, Jazz. Besides, there's other ghost hunters who will-"

"NO!" Jazz said, with force. "I mean... You don't understand. He took Danny!"

Her parents gasped. "That ghost messed with the wrong ghost hunters... C'mon, Jack, let's give him heck!" Maddie said, hopping up.

Jazz smiled, and tossed them both a Fenton Thermos. "Sam and Tucker will be here any minute. But I gotta use the bathroom." She ran upstairs to Danny's room, where Vlad had just tucked Danny in. Her brother looked worse, not better. His cheeks were wet, and his look was bleak.

Vlad let out a sigh. "Oh, Jazzy! I'm so glad you're here, Danny-"

She shook her head, and her hand across her throat, a sign for him to shut up. He promptly did. "We're going to hunt down Dan. Are you coming or not?"

He nodded. "Of course, Jasmine. I wouldn't miss it for the world." He smiled, and easy caught the thermos that was thrown at him.

"Great. Let's go downstairs!" The two of them rushed down the steps, to find that the four were assembled and ready. "Alright, guys. Dan Phantom took Danny, and we've got to go capture him before anything bad happens!" she hadn't rehearsed anything, rather, spoke from her heart. She didn't tell the truth, but Sam, Tucker, and Vlad knew why. They did not contradict her. She continued on, speaking, explaining. They would hunt for Dan, and when they found him, they would capture him.

I floated to Vlad's mansion, and scoured his stores for the item I wanted. Finally, I found it. The Crown of Fire, an artifact of the Ghost King's. The tiara would endow the wearer with great power... And coupled with the Ring of Rage, it would give me infinite power! I spotted Vlad's portal to the Ghost Zone. I rubbed my hands together with glee. Amity park would never see me coming...

I felt a change run through my body, a shiver, as I began to grow taller, stronger. The effects of the Ring. I glanced at a nearby mirror, and found that in it, I had aged five years. With that crown, I would be as powerful as the _real_ Dan Phantom.


	4. Chapter 4

Looking for Dan Phantom was a bust. Jazz & Vlad, Sam & Tucker, and Jack & Maddie all came up empty handed. No one had even seen Phantom.

But they did find Dani. Well, Vlad and Jazz did.

"Hey, I know you!" Jazz said, spotting the girl. Vlad was lagging behind Jazz, 'scouting out the behind' whatever that was supposed to mean.

Danny's 'cousin' nodded. "There's something wrong with Danny... He won't wake up. I overshadowed him, and he didn't even fight back."

"HELLO~!" sung a random Vlad Masters.

"Ah!" Dani jumped, and started running away. "It's Vlad, run!"

Vlad lifted his arm and smelled his armpit, wondering if that was the problem.

"Come back, Dani, it's alright. Part of what's wrong with Danny is what's wrong with Vlad... Danny lost his motivation and his ghost half, while Vlad lost his evilness, his intelligence, and his ghost half!" Jazz explained, halting the running girl

Dani gasped. "Oh no! Where are they?"

"Fused together, who knows where. We're looking for him - Dan Phantom, the most horrid ghost to ever exist." Jazz lowered her eyes. She felt responsible. But this was no time for feeling sorry for herself.

"Have we checked the Ghost Zone?" asked Vlad, making Dani tense.

Jazz frowned. "Why would he go there? His goal is to destroy Amity Park..."

"Wouldn't that be a lot easier with an army of ghosts behind him? Or some of the priceless artifacts inside the Ghost Zone, like Pandora's Box or the Infi Map? Or maybe he just went there to hide, and bide his time?" Vlad suggested.

Jazz gasped. "Vlad, you're a genius!" She hugged him suddenly, and after a moment, he hugged her back.

"Uh, guys?" Dani asked, softly. They both turned to look to see her point at Fentonworks, which was covered from top to bottom with a thick coating of ice.

I knew the threat that my - _Danny Fenton's_ family posed. So I would destroy their ghost portal and leave them trapped outside for a while.

Oh, and you can imagine my glee when I found my human counterpart. I snatched him from the bed, and shoved him into the Ghost Zone. I set the portal to explode, and quickly flew through. I heard the explosion behind me, and grinned. Now, only Vlad's portal remained. I would go back and cover his house in a similar layer of ice, only much thicker, just in case they had the idea to go there instead.


	5. Chapter 5

Danny Fenton floated in the cold, holding onto himself tight, silent. I set him on a piece of floating rubble. "Stay here," I said, and went off on my way. I knew he wouldn't have moved, anyway.

I started with obliterating any ghost that got in my way, demanding that they join me or die. My powers got stronger, fueled my the artifact perched on my head.

I grinned, aiming blast after blast at Walker. It gave me joy to watch him suffer like this, screaming in agony.

Eventually, he gave up, and floated away, nursing several injuries, but pledging allegiance to me. I didn't care. He wasn't my priority, or what I was going after.

I cleared a few more ghosts - Skulker, Ember, Box Ghost, Johnny 13... Some tried to reason with me, or ask who I was. They recognized the emblem on my chest and were in disbelief. No, I couldn't be Danny Phantom. And they were right, I wasn't.

I was Dan Phantom, soon to be the king of ghosts, and ruler of the universe. But before I could do any of that, I had to battle the current Ghost King - Pariah Dark.

Everyone regrouped outside the frozen Fentonworks, staring at it in shock. Jack began hammering away at the ice, but ultimately didn't get very far before he wore out.

"How are we supposed to get to the Ghost Zone without the Fenton Ghost Portal?" asked Maddie in despair. "We have to find Danny!"

Dani's eyes widened. "But he's -"

Jazz shoved a hand over the girl's mouth before she could say another word.

Vlad frowned. "Well... There is always my portal." He smiled, not a trace of evil in it.

"Perfect! We go to Vlad's mansion and use his portal!" Tucker cheered, smiling.

The problem turned out to be the same at the mansion - covered in even thicker ice, with no way in, and since it was still dark, it wouldn't melt so quickly.

Jazz shook her head. "Dan must have done this..." She let out a sigh. "We gotta do something!"

They went back to Fentonworks, grabbed a flamethrower, and went to work, until the front entrance was usable. From there, they went to the basement to find the busted Fenton Ghost Portal.

"Oh no..." Dani muttered, staring at the destroyed device.

Vlad shook his head. "Well, let's go back to my mansion, and hope he didn't destroy that one too!"

The sun was rising by the time they got to Vlad's mansion. The group of seven was exhausted beyond reason. They needed to sleep, not go on a wild goose chase to find Danny. So they decided to settle in the mansion, and when they woke, they would go to the Ghost Portal and find Dan.


End file.
